1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image processing systems and more particularly to an image processing system which allows manipulation of facial features.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent advancements in computer technology have provided users with abilities and conveniences previously unimagined. One well known application of computers is that of generating and manipulating images. Such images range from plots of mathematical functions and relationships to detailed drawings, all of which are generated for viewing on a display screen. In other instances, an image may be digitized for later enhancement or alteration on the computer system. Since the image is in digitized form, it may be stored, transmitted, and printed as any other form of computer information or data.
It is common to execute painting programs in the memory of a digital computer in order to create an environment wherein images may be created, displayed, and manipulated using a selection device such as a mouse or stylus. The painting program reconfigures the memory of the digital computer in a manner analogous to that of a canvas upon which an image is created. This information is transmitted to a display screen for instantaneous viewing by the user. The program allows the mouse to function as a normal selection device or a paintbrush, based on the relative position of the mouse on the display screen. One area of the display screen may be used to select operations designed to manipulate the image. In another area of the display screen, the mouse functions as a cursor having a user-selectable brush image.
A typical painting program will provide the user with numerous options. For example, various colors may be selected when painting. New colors may be created by mixing available colors. Various brush sizes and shapes may be selected. There are several basic tools which the user may select to create the image. A pencil tool allows a user to draw lines in freehand using the mouse. A paint tool is used to add paint to a specified area while an eraser tool will remove painted portions of an the image. Basic geometric patterns such as circles, ellipses, rectangles, squares, may also be created with ease. Finally, a magnifying tool is often available to allow detailed manipulation of a portion of the image.
While paint programs provide user with numerous tools for creating and manipulating images, they do not allow the creation or manipulation of facial features. Nowadays, it is often desirable to provide children with customized gifts. Such gifts often include personalized storybooks where the main character shares the child's name, for example. These storybooks are usually available in digital format so that the child may use the book in conjunction with a digital computer. While a common name provides a certain bond between the child and the main character, it should be appreciated that this bond could be further increased if the main character was also in the image of the child. Thus, the child would feel as though the storybook were created especially for them and about them.
There are numerous methods and systems currently available for manipulating images using a digital computer. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,570 issued on Jun. 30, 1981 to Burson et al. discloses a method and apparatus for producing an image of a person's face at a different age. In order to simulate the appearance of a different age on a person's face, a picture of an old face and a corresponding young face are recorded and the differences between the old and young face are found and recorded. A picture of the person's face to be simulated at a different age is then recorded, modified with the differences, and the image resulting after modification is displayed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,301 issued on Mar. 29, 1994 to Nohmi et al. discloses an image displaying method and apparatus. The attribute data of a designated region on the displayed image is stored. Next, the attribute of a partial image corresponding to the region designated on the display screen is retrieved, or the region of the partial image having a predetermined attribute that includes the attributes retrieved by the first step is picked.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,452 issued on Apr. 26, 1994 to Hahn et al. discloses a method and apparatus for creating, manipulating, and displaying images. The invention permits a user to manipulate a high resolution source image through interaction with a lower resolution display image. User operations are interpreted by a paint system processor and executed on the source image in real time. A combiner feature allows operations to be described as mathematical expressions, where operands are images and operators are chosen from a list of special related operators. The source image is stored in location A and the current user operation is executed in location B. The combiner feature joins images A and B to display the result on the display.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,742 issued on Jun. 7, 1994 and European Patent Application # 586,082 published on Apr. 9, 1994, both to Edgar, disclose an image enhancement with mask having fuzzy edges. A mask having at least two areas is defined over an image. The mask pixels are mapped with an error diffusion or dithering process in order to mix the mask pixels between the areas. Image pixels corresponding in position to the mask pixels are mapped to color palettes selected for the two areas. An image effect is applied to the color palette of the unmasked area. The error diffusion thus provides a fuzzy edge to the mask and the process may be accomplished with a minimum number of states.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,441 issued on Nov. 14, 1995 to Stone et al. discloses a method for operating on objects in a first image using an object-based model data structure to produce a second contextual image having added, replaced, or deleted objects. A processor-controlled machine allows a user to operate on an object-based model data structure from which a first image has been produced in order to apply any of a number of spatially and temporally bounded changes to the first image in a second image which is displayed in the spatial context of the first image. The method is implemented as an enhancement to the functionality of an application program, such as a graphical object editor. The method performs the operations on a copy of the model data structure, thus permitting the user to instantly preview changes to an image before actually applying those changes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,536 issued on Nov. 21, 1995 to Blank discloses an image editing system including masking capability. The system allows editing of digital images in three dimensions and includes a computer for storing a digital image of an object and a background, as well as at least one additional background image. Based upon the difference between the hues of the edge of the object and the surrounding background and a predetermined hue difference, the computer locates the edge of the object and removes portions of the image which are outside the edge. The object can then be combined with a preselected one of the other background images so as to form a composite image.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,529 issued on Dec. 26, 1995 to Nakagawa et al. discloses a character and fortune telling method and apparatus for hobby use. The apparatus includes an input unit for generating a two-dimensional image based on a person's face. A feature extraction unit is provided for extracting the coordinates and distances expressing the shapes and positions of the face from the two-dimensional image. The apparatus further includes an output unit for producing personal information about a person from the extracted features and for directing the information to an output device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,238 issued on Feb. 6, 1996 to Watkins discloses an attribute blending system for composing computer-graphic images from objects. Objects contending for representation in pixels of a graphics display are selectively awarded a fractional area within a pixel based on: coarse calculations in the Z dimension, aggregate demands of the objects, and blending techniques free of binary position resolutions. The area occupied by a polygon within a pixel is represented using a single number in the form of a variable. For example, a value of "0" may be used to indicate that no area is occupied within the pixel, while a value of "255" may indicate that the entire area is occupied. Blending techniques with attendant antialiasing are used to avoid calculations in the Z dimension.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,186 issued on Jul. 2, 1996 to Tanahashi et al. discloses an image filing method based on symbol retrieval condition. A plurality of images are registered one by one and subsequently retrieved by adding a retrieval condition so as to minimize the registration and retrieval times. A plurality of symbols for featuring objects in the images are preset, and the images are registered in accordance to the selected symbols. At the image retrieval time, the symbols are selected, and the images corresponding to the selected symbols are read out.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.